It’s Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

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When I first heard the name Solemio, the image that came to mind was of a small castle rising above the vast land of a countryside farm.

Wasn’t it the title of one of the famous Italian arias on Earth?

In reality, it was a large city that was nothing like that image.

If you ask whether it’s a bustling city, I would definitely say no, but if you inquire if it fits the average medieval metropolis… well, I could confidently say it’s “big and sturdy.”

“That’s because this place is both a city and a fortress, Mage.”

“A fortress?”

“Yes. A long time ago, this area was a dungeon field, and we had to treat it like a border, unable to suppress it.”

Kyunghan provided an appropriate answer to my question.

Solemio is positioned at the edge of the kingdom, facing a large river to the southeast and flanked by a mountainous region to the southwest.

Two hundred years ago, when dungeons began to emerge on the continent, people didn’t know how to deal with them.

They didn’t understand the relationship between Dungeon Cores and Lords, so dungeons often went rampant, and there were even places that lost their function as a country due to an overflow of raging dungeons.

In this kingdom’s case, it wasn’t that severe, but there were so many dungeons popping up at once that they ended up using Solemio Castle as the border with the dungeons.

After the war with the dungeons ended, they maintained the fortress due to deteriorating relations with the country beyond the river, using it right on the frontline.

However, it wasn’t well-kept or situated for trade, so it became a fortress city on the outskirts.

“I see. Thank you for the detailed explanation.”

“Oh my! If you have any more questions, just ask!”

Indeed, having someone like that respond readily to my myriad curiosities was remarkably convenient, almost like a walking encyclopedia.

Just answering my questions has helped me grasp the status quo in this world, and if this person ever finds himself in a life-threatening situation without attacking my dungeon, I might be inclined to save him just once.

Of course, I’m aware that knowing what I know isn’t sufficient, and proper investigation is necessary.

“Since it’s dinner time, it would be best for Sonia and Angelita to head to the inn first. I’ll go to the Magic Guild first…”

“Wouldn’t it be better to go together? The discussion might not progress without Miss Sonia.”

“That’s true, but…”

Upon hearing my words, Maria strained her voice, glancing at Sonia for approval. I too followed suit, looking over at Sonia.

Sonia looked even more haggard than before, worse than when she met Maria.

Simultaneously, her dependence on me had grown so strong that she couldn’t even sleep without me, to the extent that the three of us had taken turns to keep watch during the journey.

It was just a few days, but had it gone on longer, the three healthy adventurers would have suffered significantly.

Though I was physically comfortable, I still felt uneasy as remnants of my human common sense remained.

Originally, Dungeon Lords don’t require much sleep, yet making an effort to lie down for a long time was torturous.

“Sonia.”

“… Yes, Teacher…?”

Until now, she hadn’t paid any attention to the conversation, but at the sound of my call, she lifted her head.

Maria had a strange expression on her face, either feeling sorry for Sonia or finding it odd.

Crossing eyes with her, I subtly signaled to adjust her expression and softly whispered in Sonia’s ear.

“You can now go find your friends. Just ask for help at the Magic Guild.”

“Ah…!”

What followed was a scene that looked as if a wilting flower had instantly regained its health and bloomed, a sort of magic at work.

In an instant, Sonia’s eyes lit up, and her body tensed as she grabbed both of my hands with force.

It was a strength unlike her.

“L-Let’s go…! Teacher!”

“Right, let’s go.”

Maria acted as if she wasn’t even in the picture.

I didn’t bother to point out her behavior, just nodding at Maria and speaking.

Somehow, it felt as if I had become her spokesperson in an unusual situation, but Maria didn’t seem to be too deeply affected, understanding that Sonia relied heavily on me after I had treated her following the death of her friend.

“It’s a relief that we have Angelita. If we didn’t, I don’t know what would have happened to Sonia…”

Perhaps she lacked the mental space or will to care about Sonia, instead being grateful that Sonia wasn’t dependent on her.

She herself must have been in a situation where it was hard to grasp her sister’s death.

Until one confirms ‘evidence,’ human cognition normally struggles to accept death and loss.

Unless one is either overly accustomed or possesses an innate ‘talent.’

“This is it.”

The view of the Magic Guild, the first I had seen since coming to this world, was quite peculiar.

‘Is there a mirror over there?’

Overall, it was a five-story building shaped like an upward widening truncated cone aiming at the sky, but unusually, it felt brighter up top, for some odd reason.

It was like seeing a giant glare from a bald head reflect off the building, a bizarre sensation.

Moreover, there was a sizable eye embedded above the main entrance, presumably the guild’s emblem, with a raised hand shape appearing above it, touching the eye, making it look quite bizarre—indeed, the eye even seemed to move, adding to the eerie sight.

‘Could this be called bad taste by the demon clans?’

It wasn’t too important, so I quickly shifted my gaze, but… it was definitely a design I wouldn’t want to visit twice.

– Who goes there?

Especially since the voice came from that eye.

“There’s been an issue concerning the trainee guild member, Miss Sonia, and her party. We need the cooperation of a Mage.”

Clunk!

– Please come in at once!

As soon as Maria said that, the door opened without any further ado.

Moreover, it was with a hurried voice.

“Is this…?”

“It seems so, doesn’t it?”

Maria, meeting my gaze, seemed to think the same. It felt like they knew something here.

“Sonia!”

Before we could even take a few steps through the door, a man dashed out from inside.

He looked like he had just stepped out of a classic laboratory aficionado’s image, appearing to be in his thirties.

The fact that he nearly stumbled while running that short distance only solidified the image, yet due to his expression, it didn’t look pitiful at all.

His face was full of genuine concern for someone he truly cared about.

“Senpai…”

“Sonia! Thank goodness! You’re alive!”

The man ran over, grabbed Sonia’s shoulders, hugged her briefly, and then pulled back, inspecting her all over.

It felt like he examined her quickly and delicately without infringing too much on her privacy.

Then, he completely ignored us and pressed Sonia.

“What on earth is going on? Why didn’t I hear from you for so long… You’re a week late! I thought something had happened to you, Sonia…”

He definitely seemed to cherish Sonia a great deal. Whether it was as a man and woman, or as senior and junior, I couldn’t confirm yet.

However, it was clear he had feelings for her.

“Uh… um… Senpai…?”

Sonia, caught off guard by the unexpected situation, was unable to say anything, failing to help our understanding.

But I gathered one thing.

At least, the two of them weren’t on terms that would allow for such casual hugging.

“Wait a moment. Mage, Sonia is in very poor condition right now. If you press her like this…”

“Y-You are?”

“I’m Maria Olas, Sonia’s friend and the elder sister of Remia.”

“I am Angelita, Sonia’s guardian.”

“Guardian… Ah… well, please come in for now. This way.”

Though he took an assertive stance with Sonia, he froze up in front of strangers.

Following him inside, I realized something odd.

‘There are no people here.’

The Magic Guild is ultimately a place where Mages gather to study and learn or procure various materials needed for that.

Thus, there could be two reasons why only one Mage is visible in this large space.

Perhaps space magic was in effect, designed solely for one Mage to manage the entry, or else…

“I would like to offer something to drink, but currently, I only have this kind of tea. It’s a bit bitter, if that’s alright?”

“I’m fine with water.”

“I’d like to try it once.”

“Me too…”

The Mage nodded and disappeared into the reception area, shortly returning with three cups of tea in hand.

It was as if he had hot water prepared in advance. If not, then it was magic.

“If it’s too bitter, please take this candy on this side.”

“Thank you.”

“Thanks.”

The man set down the tea and sat across from us. The tea had a scent that made one feel comfortable.

However, while I took a sip, he was still fidgeting, unable to find peace.

And Maria was in the same boat.

“May I ask your name?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Leonis Den, a senior Mage affiliated with the Guild. I’m a senior disciple of the same master as Sonia.”

“Yes, that’s right… Senior Leonis is the eldest brother, and I’m the youngest, but…”

‘Messenger,’ what an unfitting title for him…

Right off the bat, the age difference between them was strikingly apparent. Leonis Den had a face that, while slender, clearly belonged to someone in their 30s, while Sonia had just turned 20.

And Sonia still couldn’t hide her shock. She clung tightly to my sleeve, eyeing her senior as if to keep her distance.

It seemed emotions were more one-sided on that front; did Sonia not pick up on any of the subtle hints?

Meanwhile, paying no mind to Sonia’s and my thoughts, Maria and Leonis continued their conversation smoothly.

“It seems there aren’t many people around.”

“Yup. Right now, it’s just me.”

“Damn… I’m sorry. It slipped out.”

The crude words slipped out instinctively from Maria.

Leonis narrowed his gaze at her. Until now he seemed just a slender man, but now he held a sharper demeanor.

“… So, something did happen.”

“Ah. Is it because of the ongoing ‘expedition’ that there are no other Mages in the Guild?”

“That’s a topic not meant for outsiders to know.”

“I know someone who’s well-informed about rumors.”

“… Oh my. I thought you were aware of something. Seems I was mistaken; you merely heard rumors. It doesn’t seem like it’s the time to hide it, so I’ll just be straightforward—we are indeed supporting that expedition actively. Currently, the master and most of the senior disciples have already gone out.”

“I see.”

“Now, could you tell me what has happened to Sonia?”

“… Ha.”

Maria took a moment to meet Sonia’s gaze, asking for permission before recounting all the circumstances Sonia could understand to Leonis.

Only after I prodded Sonia to provide an accurate answer did the explanation start. It didn’t take long, but it felt like Leonis aged five more years during the story.

Therefore, a decision didn’t take long.

“I will go.”

“Senpai…? Then what about the Guild…?”

“We can lock the doors for a while. Sonia, don’t worry about Guild matters. We need to find your friends.”

“Um… is that okay?”

“Of course. They’re your most precious people. We need to find a safe place for them quickly.”

“Thank you…”

“Not at all.”

This world holds one of those common tragedies.

Yet just like Maria’s feelings for Remia’s tragedy, Leonis seemed to genuinely empathize and feel pain over what Sonia experienced.

Regardless of his feelings toward Sonia, he was clearly a good person. There are more than enough people in the world who can’t empathize with the pain of their lovers.

Sonia, Maria, Daniel, and Leonis.

They’re all good people in their own right.

‘How should we handle this.’

And these good people, were precisely the prey of the Dungeon Lord, who grows by devouring people.

I looked down at Sonia.

“Teacher… you will help too, right?”

“Of course. Sonia, if I don’t help, who will?”

Finally, she smiled with relief.

Enjoying the touch of my hand patting her head.